Track for vehicles



July 19, 1949. c. o. SLEMMONS TRACK FOR VEHICLES Filed May- 27 1946ground at high speed.

Patented .hly'lfl, 1949 Charles 0. Slemmons, South Bend, Ind., aulgnorto The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of'New York Application May 27, 1948, Serial No.672,413

13 Claims. (Cl. 3115-40) This invention relates to track for self-layingtrack type vehicles and is especially useful on track vehicles to beoperated over soft or rough The principal objects are to provide gooddistributlon of the supported load, to provide for full effectiveness ofrubber or the like in loadsupporting pads, to provide broad contact withthe ground, to prevent-spreading of the cushioning means, to provide asmooth path for the bogie wheels, to provide high resistance to lat eralbending, to provide good flexibility and to provide quiet operation.

These and other objects will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawings.

. Of the drawings,

Secured to the bands ll, H as by the rivets It, the shoes ll arearranged cross-wise of the bands and are slightly spaced-apartlongitudinally of the bands so as not to interfere with each other.

- The shoes may be'of light weight metal construction and may bev formedof sheet metal, although castings or forgings may be used if desired.Each shoe extends laterally beyond the bands at each side to providebroad contact with the ground and has upwardly inclined ends 23, 2|

' toassist operation on soft ground and in turning.

Fig.1 is a partial side elevation of a track constructed in accordancewith and embodying the invention, with one of the driving and one of thebogie wheels about whichit is trained in driving a vehicle, other partsbeing broken away. Fig. 2 is a view of the wheel-contacting face of aportion of the track.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,the bogie wheels being indicated in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, taken on line 44 ofFig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals III, II designate substantiallylnextensible endless bands widely spaced apart and arranged in parallelrelation. Each band includes a layer of inextensible flexiblereinforcing elements l2, preferably of metallic cable, arranged inparallel reaches spaced from each other laterally of the band andcompletely separated and surrounded by 'a body l3 of resilient rubber'orother rubber-like material to which the element is secured by a bondresulting from vulcanization of the body of rubber-likematerlal.

For securing the bands-to the other parts of the track, each band hasembedded therein at regular intervals along its extent, pairs of op-,

posed stirrup straps ll, l5, each having central portions opposed to butspaced from the reinforcing elements l2 by the rubber-like cushioningmaterial, and offset ear-like ends l6, I1 which protrude from the bandsat the sides thereof and are perforated for securing them to shoes It asby means of rivets l3. The ends of the straps l6, II are oifsetoppositely to bring their ends into face to face relation and to providespace for clearing the cushioned reinforcing elements.

Each shoe is formed. with an upwardly directed protuberance 22 at itscenter for engaging between pairs of bogie wheels 23, 24 for guiding thetrack. These protuberances may also be used as driving lugs for engagingdrive sprockets of the vehicle when positive drive is desired. The lugs22 are preferably of hollow construction having side openings 25communicating with their interiors to provide escape of mud. Openings 26at each lug 22 are formed through the floor of the shoes for the samepurpose.

Each shoe is formed between the bands Hi, If andthe lug 22 with aplurality of substantially rectangular openings 30 defined by verticalwalls 3| extending from the tread face of the track to a position closeto the wheel-engaging face. Cushion blocks 32 of resilient rubber orother rubber-like material fill the openings 30 and are preferablysecured to the walls 3| by a bond resulting from vulcanization thereto.The blocks 32 extend to the tread face of the track so as to contactdirectly with the ground, and extend above the walls 3|, as at 33. 4

For distributing the load of the bogie wheels over the full area of theblocks and preventing spalling of the blocks at their free margins, aswell as providing a smooth path of the bogies,

wheel-contacting deck plates 35 of metal extend I entirely across theupper face of each block 32 j and have downwardly turned front and rearmargins 36 overhanging the walls 3| for smooth passage of the bogiewheels from block to block. The plates 35 are adhered to the upper facesof the blocks 32 preferably by vulcanized bonding and providesmoothbearing surfaces to engage the bogie wheels 23, 24 which are preferablyof the rubber-tired variety. The resilient rubber blocks 32 transmit theweight of the vehicle directly through them to the ground. I

Because the walls 3i restrain lateral bulging of the rubber-likematerial substantially throughout its depth the blocks provide cushionsof great load capacity. Also, because the metal of the walls 3iordinarily will wear somewhat faster than the rubber-like material, aface of the rubber-like material will always be present so that thetrack is operable on pavement without objectionable damage to thepavement, as well as upon soft ground where the metal surfaces takeefl'ect.v The spacing of the deck plates ll above the upper margins ofthe walls 3| provides for cushioning deflection as the load istransmitted from the deck plates through the rubberlike material. Theprojecting portions of the blocks between the shoe and the plate arepreferably rebated, as at 42. to prevent marginal pinching of thematerial.

For stiffening the shoes and providing increased traction. the shoes maybe provided with cross ribs ll which are adapted to sink into softground and provide greater traction.

Through openings I are formed in the shoes in the region of the bandsIt, ii to lighten the track and also to permit escape of mud.

The track is preferably made endless and the reinforcing elements I: maybe of a continuous cable wound in convolutions and embedded in acontinuous band of the rubber-like material prior to vulcanization ofthe latter. v

The shoes are made separately and attached to the bands at regularintervals. This construction facilitates manufacture and provides forready replacement of individual shoes or hands.

The bands. II, II are ordinarily free from contact with the wheels ofthe vehicle and are free from wear from contact therewith, while theirlocation near the side of the track provides stability against sidebending or warping flexure of the track and ties the shoes to each othernear their side margins.

' Variations may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as it is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having track-engagingwheels, said track comprising flexible bands arranged in parallelrelation, and shoes secured to said bands at intervals therealong, saidshoes having openings therethrough, resilient bodies of rubber-likematerial secured in said openings and exposed at the tread faces of theshoes, said bodies having portions projecting at the faces of the shoesin the region engaged by said wheels opposite said tread faces, and deckplates secured to the projecting portions of said bodies in floatingspacedapart relation to said shoes to transmit wheel loads directly tosaid bodies.

2. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having tracksengagingwheels, said track comprising flexible bands arranged in parallelrelation, and shoes secured to said bands at intervals therealong, saidshoes having openings therethrough, resilient bodies of rubber-likematerial secured in said openings and exposed at the tread faces oftheshoes in the region engaged by said wheels, the walls of said shoes atsaid openings embracing the sides of said bodies substantiallythroughout the depth of the latter, said bodies having portionsprojecting at the faces of the shoes opposite said tread faces, and deckplates secured to the projecting portions of said bodies in floatingspaced-apart relation to said shoes to transmit wheel loads directly tosaid bodies.

3. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having track-engagingwheels, said track comprising a pair of flexible bands arranged inparallel relation, each band comprising a layer of flexible reinforcingelements, a body of. resilient 4 rubber-like material about saidelements, and straps of metal embedded insaid body about said elementsand projecting therefrom, shoes secured to said straps at regularintervals along said bands, each said shoe having an openingtherethrough, a resilient body of rubber-like material secured in saidopening and exposed at the tread face of the track, said body having aportion projecting at the face of the shoe in the region engaged by oneof said wheels opposite said tread face, and a metal plate secured tothe proiecti l portions of said body and overlying said body and saidopening in floating spaced-apart relation to said shoe to" transmitwheel loads directly to said body, plates of said shoes providingcollectively a substantially continuous bogie-wheel bearing surface.

4. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having track-engagingwheels, said track comprising a plurality of shoes, means connectingsaid shoes flexibly in series, said shoes having apertures through thesame in the regions engaged by said wheels, bodies of rubber-likematerial in said apertures exposed at the ground-contacting faces of theshoes, the walls of said shoes at said apertures embracing said bodiessubstantially throughout the depth of the latter and restraining lateralspreading thereof under wheelloads transmitted directly through saidbodies, and deck, plate members mounted on said bodies in floatingspaced relation to said shoes for trans- ,mitting wheel-loads directlyto said bodies.

5. A track shoe for an endless band track for engaging bogie wheels of avehicle, said shoe having an aperture through the same in the regionengaged by one of said wheels, a bod of rubber-like material of lessarea than said shoe in said aperture exposed at the ground-contactingface of the shoe, the wall of said shoe at said aperture embracing thesides of said body entirely about the same and substantially throughoutthe depth thereof and restraining lateral spread. ing of said body underwheel-loads transmitted directly through said body, and a deck structuremounted on said body in floating spaced relation to said shoe fortransmitting wheel loads directly to said body.

6. A track shoe as defined in claim 5 in which said body comprises a.projecting portion and said deck structure comprises a plate permanentlysecured to said portion.

7. A track block for a self-laying track type vehicle in which a seriesof blocks are movably connected for engagement by load-transmittinwheels of the vehicle, said block comprising a metal frame having wallsextending to a tread face of the block in the region of the blockengaged by said wheels, a filling of' resilient material retained bysaid walls and exposed at said face, said filling projecting beyond theopposite face of said block, and a deck plate of less area than saidblock secured to the projecting face of said filling in floatingspaced-apart relation to said frame for engagement with a loadtransmitting wheel.

8. A track block as deflned by claim 7 in which said filling ispermanently secured to said walls;

9. A track block as defined by claim 7 in which said filling ispermenently secured to said deck p ate.

10. A track block as defined by claim 7 in which said filling ispermanently secured to said walls and said deck plate.

11. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle havin load-sustainingwheels for engaging the shoes, and deck DANG track, said trackcomprising flexible bands arranged in parallel relation, and shoessecured to said bands at close intervals, said shoes havins openingstherethrough of small area relative to the area of the soes in theregion of engagement of said wheels, resilient bodies of rubber-likematerial of area corresponding to said openings extending through saidopenings and projecting therebeyond at the wheel-engaging face of theplates secured to the projecting portions of said bodies, with the deckplates of adjacent shoes substantially meeting 'to provide asubstantially continuous surface for engaging said wheels. I

12. A track for a self-laying track type vehicle having aload-sustaining wheel for engaging the track, said track comprisingconnected track shoes, each shoe having an opening therethrough from theground-engaging faces to the wheel engaging face of the track, a body ofresilient material in said opening and projecting therefrom at thewheel-engaging face of the track and a deck plate mounted for floatingmovement on the projecting portion of said body and spaced from saidshoe, the deck plates of said shoes being spaced closely in thelongitudinal direction of the track and collectively providing, a smoothsurface for rolling engagement with said wheel.

13. A track shoe for a self-laying track type vehicle, said shoe havingopposite wheel contacting and tread faces and comprising a retainingwall extending rigidly about the wheel-contacting portion thereof andsubstantially to both faces of the block, a filling of resilientrubber-like material retained by said wall, said filling being exposedat said tread face of the shoe and pro- REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,947,474 Knox Feb. 20, 19341,970,100 Masury Aug. 14, 1934 2,420,133 Hardig May 6, 1947

